How to Add Personality to Your Kitchen
While I realise there are plenty of people out there who adore the look of a cool modern kitchen with everything hidden away behind a sleek exterior, I admit, I am not one of them. I find these kinds of kitchens a bit too cold and uninviting when there’s nothing in them to give a peek at the personality of the home owner. I believe that every room in your home should tell the story of you and so when there is a lack of personal items even in a space that can be as utilitarian as the kitchen, it leaves me feeling a bit cold.
If you love the look of a personality-packed kitchen, you’ll love my post today. I’m going to be sharing some of the little details you can incorporate into your own kitchen to ensure it’s one that’s not soon forgotten.
Mix Old and New
I think what makes the above kitchen so appealing is it’s contemporary good looks combined with traditional touches. Mixing a rustic farmhouse table with modern cupboards creates an eclectic look that’s beautifully warm and yet thoroughly up to date. Consider hanging some vintage artwork and adding textural accents like woven baskets to tie everything together.
Display Your Favourite Wares
While Scandinavian design may be all about beautiful function and simplicity in design, the above kitchen has loads of personality thanks to a carefully curated display of beautiful kitchenalia. From herbs and flowers to cups, plates and glasses, there’s little doubt someone who has great style enjoys this space. Consider displaying your own collections in open shelving or utilising rustic wine crates hung on the wall for a personality-packed space.
Add a Touch of Pattern to Your Flooring
This black and white kitchen gets a jolt of personal style from the inclusion of patterned tiles on the floor. By keeping the rest of the space light and bright, the addition of a bold floor can be just what’s needed to add some real personal flair to your kitchen. Check out our selection of feature floor tiles to get this look.
Go Dark
While a light and airy space may be something many of us wish for in a kitchen, why not buck the trend and go for a dark colour palette? Here, black and grey combine to create a luxurious look with splashes of colour in artwork, books and accessories. There’s no doubt this kitchen would be a unique space to entertain! A pale marble worktop and backsplash make a fabulous contrast to the darker cabinets and walls so be sure to add brighter touches to your space for the same unique look.
Bring in Art and Books
This thoroughly contemporary kitchen could lack warmth simply for the lack of colour or textiles in the space. However, the gallery wall of oil paintings combined with shelves stacked with books provides an eclectic balance for the serene space. Why not show off your personality with the artwork you love and the books you read within your kitchen? It’s clear you can still be a minimalist and yet create big style with careful details.
Kitchen tile ideas
1. Wrap the walls in chic white tiles
Kitchen tile ideas 1
Add interest to a shaker kitchen by wrapping tiles around the room. Give the white tiles a colourful lift by painting the remaining wall a punchy pink. Tiling half the wall this way is practical and will protect your walls from any kitchen splashes.
2. Add an extra dimension with hexagon tiles
kitchen tile ideas 2
You don’t need colour to make a statement, filling a white kitchen with different textures, materials and shapes will add interest. Kitchen wall tiles are perfect for doing this. This honeycomb tile blends seamlessly into the white washed walls to create a sleek contemporary look.
3. Mismatch shapes and patterns
kitchen tile ideas 4
If you decide to tile your floor and walls, don’t be afraid to mismatch the shape, colour and even finish. On the floor it can be tempting to opt for a simple design, however in this room it is the floor that makes a statement with a decorative blue pattern. Instead the walls have been tiled in a popular herringbone pattern using plain white tiles.
4. Create interest around an island unit
Be adventurous with a statement floor. These patterned floor tiles have been used to border the island unit in this open-plan kitchen. When it comes to design, the sky’s the limit with mosaic tiles, as they can be used to create a variety of patterns and eye-catching details. This patterned tile injects an exotic flavour into a contemporary kitchen by combining pale stone with a Middle Eastern motif.
5. Choose a modern bistro-style vibe with metro tiles
If you have a large wall to fill in the kitchen, consider creating an entire feature wall of metro tiles. Brick-shaped or Metro-style tiles with a distinctive bevel are a popular choice and provide a retro twist. Choose matt flat or glass brick tiles to create a more contemporary feel. Be sure to choose the right grout. Not only is it practical bonding for durability but it’s key to determine whether your pattern stands out or blends in to the overall scheme. It comes in various colours and compounds so do your research.
Work in vinyl
Vinyl flooring is hard-wearing, durable and easy to lay. It is also much softer and warmer underfoot compared to stone and ceramic tiles, more forgiving with dropped crockery and a breeze to keep clean. A recent surge in popularity means there is now a wide range of modern, trend-led designs available. Thickness is a good indication of quality, for both sheet and tiled vinyl. Cheap sheet vinyl starts at 1mm thick, which will make it easy to fit but not very long-lasting. Aim for 3.5mm upwards.
Think about pattern
Make a feature of your flooring with beautifully patterned floor tiles – they’re definitely the standout piece in this stylish kitchen. Consider your colour scheme carefully when playing with pattern – here, the pale blues and greys are the perfect complement to the painted kitchen units.
Stick to stone
Natural materials such as stone are always a popular choice and lend authenticity to a scheme. A current trend is ‘mimica’ porcelains, which recreate the look of natural materials, while offering an easy-to-care for finish. Here, limestone flags have been laid in a mix of sizes for a relaxed look that matches the style of the units and farmhouse table.
Picking the Perfect Floor
When choosing a new floor for your home, asking yourself a few key questions at the beginning can dramatically increase your satisfaction in the end.
Questions on the Floor
What’s the size of the family that will regularly use the room, and how much traffic will the floor receive? Children definitely make a difference. Any pets? Will the floor be exposed to moisture regularly? How often is the floor likely to need cleaning? How long do you hope and expect your new floor to last?
Kitchens
For kitchen flooring, durability and ease of cleaning are top criteria. Good choices are linoleum, ceramic tile–both very common–and wood. Linoleum is inexpensive and provides an easy-to-clean surface and comes in countless designs. Ceramic tiles are even better. Also easy to maintain and available in a huge range, they offer superior durability, resisting most dents, dings and scratches. There are a couple of things to bear in mind about tiles, however. One is that if installed over a floor that has structural movement, ceramic tiles are prone to crack. So if your house is very old, it’s probably a good idea to replace your subfloor while you’re at it. A second point that’s worth thinking about, particularly if your family includes children or anyone with special safety needs, is that smooth tiles can be very slippery when they get wet, so you may want to consider ones with a textured surface.
Bathrooms
Even more so than kitchens, bathrooms obviously see a lot of moisture. Linoleum, ceramic tile, limestone, marble and granite are all popular and functional flooring choices, coming with a range of different price tags and requiring various levels of expertise to install. Working with ceramic or even vinyl tiles is relatively easy, and many homeowners should be able to successfully do it themselves. Ceramic tiles look great and provide superb durability, but they aren’t cheap. And if you should elect to go with an even more challenging and higher-end material such as marble
Choose the Best Flooring for Your Kitchen
Your kitchen floor, besides being practical and durable, is a major design statement as well. The floor you choose affects every other element of your design and with the variety of materials, colors and textures available today, your choices are nearly endless.
- Stone or tile is an excellent choice for heavy traffic areas. Ceramic tile is durable and available in assorted colors and styles with the option for decorative borders and designs.
- Limestone is a natural stone that offers an Old World look. It’s a porous material that must be sealed upon installation and then twice a year.
- Cork is a durable, versatile material available in a variety of colors. It is water-resistant and reduces impact noise.
- Wood is a popular choice for today’s kitchens. It feels good underfoot and creates a warm look. Today’s prefinished wood floors withstand heavy traffic and water stains. High-pressured plastic laminates are an alternative that provide the same look for less money.
- Vinyl or resilient flooring offers a variety of styles and colors in either tiles or sheets for those on a budget.
